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- Developer: RedLynx
- Publisher: Ubisoft
- Genre: Platformer
- Release Date: 13.06.2016
- Platforms: Xbox One, Playstation 4, PC
- Game Supplied by: Xbox
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This is my first real attempt at any Trials game and I’ve got a slight feeling that all of the others aren’t quite as chaotic as this one! I imagine the previous games are all about getting through the level whilst making as many spectacular jumps as possible, but Blood Dragon doesn’t appear to reward you for amazing stunts, your only task is getting through the level as quickly as possible, and without any faults.
What I wasn’t expecting to come across was a typical cheesy 80s back story with all the cliches and twists! There’s a lot of voice acting and in game banter between the characters, it all helps to keep the game flowing.
There are 2 main characters which you control as the game progresses, teenage sibling Cyber-commandos drafted in after their Mum went missing and their Father, the Forces best ever Cyber-commando, was killed in action. To mix things up, not only will you get to ride a motorbike, but command 6 wheeled tanks, fire machine guns from your BMX and jetpack your way through space!
When you’re not commanding a vehicle you’ll have to complete some levels on foot in a typical platformer style game quite unlike the original Trials. Simple left stick to control movement, right stick to aim and shoot. If you’ve seen any trailers for it you can tell it’s an over the top styled game sending you to all places of earth and beyond!
Blood Dragon isn’t a particularly long game, easily completed in a single sitting, but it will have longevity if you’re wanting to complete all levels in a good time and get the A* rankings as it will take a lot of practice.
There are plenty of secrets to find, however what annoyed me was, if I found a secret halfway through a level, it would take you to another level where you have as many attempts at completing it as you like. But once you succeed, you have to start the previous level from scratch instead of starting where you left off.
The 80s theme is your typical American hero style with patriotism rammed down your throat, but oddly it actually manages to get away with it before it becomes sickening. The 3D effect is quite good, with background effects making changes to your environment, and speaking of which, there is lots of variety here, with areas spinning upside down, huge monsters and aliens!
To add to the illusion that this game could be that 80s TV show, you get subjected to the odd advert between levels which I think is a nice touch. They’re only a few seconds so it doesn’t spoil the mood. Between levels you can scroll around the bedroom of the 2 siblings and view certain areas. You can see how well you’ve done per level, access side story missions, view your collectibles and scan the leaderboard to see how dire your score is compared to your friends!
Summary
All in all Blood Dragon is a crazy ride of a game! The voice acting keeps the pace of the game going, the variety in levels and vehicles stops any chance of the game becoming boring and the OTT American 80s theme mixed with the outlandish coloured animation somehow creates a fast paced exciting game! If you’re not concerned about your score then a single play will suffice.
